After the Flood - The Methodist Church

The Church, slavery and reconciliation

While this topic is not an easy one, it is vital that we engage with it. This material should help to resource our conversations, our reflections and our commitment to action. In the words of James Baldwin, “not everything can be transformed, but nothing can be transformed unless it is faced”, and of Cornel West, “justice is what love looks like in public”. Our participation in the waking life of love invites us to engage with the truth about slavery, learn from it and commit to act justly.

The Revd Helen Cameron, President of the Methodist Conference

This film is provocative. This is going to get us repenting. This is going to get us praying.

The Rev Alton Bell, Chair of the Movement for Justice and Reconciliation

Watch the trailer for After the Flood.

In 2021, the Methodist Conference formally recognised the impact and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade on enslaved African people and their descendants.

This legacy includes the inequalities faced by Black and brown people in Britain today. British society continues to benefit from the wealth generated by slavery. The Methodist Church would have benefited from the transatlantic slave trade, irrespective of any direct involvement of individuals within the Church.

Therefore, the Methodist Conference is currently looking at the extent to which the Church benefitted directly or indirectly from the transatlantic slave trade and will bring a report to the Conference in 2026. It is studying the full breadth of reparations required for the injustices suffered by enslaved people, and exploring the scope of any public statements including any apology.

As part of this, the Church invites individuals and groups to join the conversation by:

Watching the film, After the Flood
Reflecting on the content
Completing the Response form

Watch the film

You could watch this as an individual, or in a group setting. You can only use the film in a Methodist Church setting, as this is the licence we have been granted by The Movement for Justice and Reconciliation, who produced the film.

To request a link to the film please fill out the form below. We will then send you an email with further details.

* required

Name*

Email address*

Methodist church name*

Methodist Circuit name*

Methodist District name*

I confirm that I will only watch or show this film in the setting of a Methodist Church, as per the licencing restrictions granted by the producer.*

Reflect on the content

You may wish to do this as a individual, or in a group setting. However you reflect on things, try to capture your thoughts in a way that's easy to reference going forward. We've produced some resources to help with this below:

Complete the Response form

Once you have watched the film, as an individual or a group, please gather your feedback and share this with us using the form below.After the Flood facilitator's guide